The Malaysian government has granted final approval for a marine robotics company to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014.
The aircraft, carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers, is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, making it one of the most significant mysteries in modern aviation.
On Wednesday, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the cabinet had agreed to the terms and conditions of a new contract with Ocean Infinity, a U.S.-based marine robotics company. Ocean Infinity previously conducted two search operations for the Boeing 777, with the most recent one concluding in 2018.
“The government is committed to continuing the search and providing closure for the families of the MH370 passengers,” Loke said. He added that the new search agreement, which he had previously mentioned would span 18 months, had been finalized.
The deal includes a $70 million payout to Ocean Infinity, but under a “no find, no fee” policy. This means the company will only be paid if the wreckage is successfully located. A previous search by Ocean Infinity in 2018 yielded no results.
Minister Loke also revealed that the new search will cover 15,000 square kilometers in a different location within the southern Indian Ocean. This search will build on previous efforts, including a joint operation by Malaysia, Australia, and China, which covered 120,000 square kilometers in the region. That search was based on automatic connection data between the plane and an Inmarsat satellite.
The final approval for this new search comes three months after Malaysia gave the green light in principle to proceed with plans for a renewed investigation.
